Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-11-25
CHOICE FEDERAL CUTS.
Readable Extracts from Letters Dated at
Washington. ID. c.


Washington, ID. C.
The statement of J. J. Brooks, Chief of
the Secret Service division of the Treasury
Department, in which he intimated that
the use of steam power in printing the
silver certificate might lead to an increase
in counterfeiting, has caused a great deal
of connection here and in other cities. 1t
is said that the movement against the notes
printed by machinery is the work of the
men employed in the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing, who fear that the substitu-
ton of machinery for band labor may
throw great many Of them out of en-
ploymeut. E. o. Graves, Chief of the
Bureau, was seen to-day in reference to
the subject. He said that he has had the
opinion of the best experts of the coun-
try, and that they agree that the steam
printed backs of the silver certificates
equal in every respect those printed
by hand He admitted, however, that
there is Just cause for complaint about
the quality of the certificates now being
issued, but he claimed that the reason is
that there is such great demand for them
that they are issued green from the press,
and are not allowed to dry properly be-
fore being put into circulation. Mr..
Graves says that the bills and certificates
ought to be allowed to dry for at least six
months before they are circulated, but
under the present demand this is impos-
sible Asked what was his reason for sub
shutting steam for hand labor in printing
these notes, Mr.. Graves replied that the
enormous increase in the call for revenue
stamps had taxed the capacity of the Office
to its utmost; that hand labor was entirely
inadequate to supply the demands of the
Internal Revenue Bureau, and that ma
chinery was absolutely necessary Wash
ington Letter in St Louis Globe Democrat.
SILVER CART-wHEELs GALORE.
Last spring the Treasury Department
| began the construction of huge vault for
I the storage of silver dollars. There is now
! a vault of considerable size in the base
ment of the Treasury building, but as long
ago as December last its capacity became
practically exhausted. Hundreds of visit
| ors go down on the elevators daily to gaze
| in open-eyed wonderment at the cords of
cart-wheels" piled up in automatically
even rows. This vault is small compared
with the one now being constructed. The
new one will be completed early in No
vember, and will hold by careful storage
05,000,000 silver dollars. Large as this
sum is, it is stated at the Treasury that
there is nearly enough silver seeking stor-
age to fill up the new vault. 1t is in the
| court between the four walls of the Treas
ury building. Its SO feet long, 81 feet wide,
about 10 feet deep, and rises few feet only
above ground. : There are nine COM
partments, separated only by iron lattice
work partitions, riveted together with
| thousands of iron bolts. Between the COM
partments are arranged straight, narrow
aisles, with small doors opening into the
| different sections. The necessary gaslight
will be stationed in these aisles When
the silver dollars are in the vaults the
pressure is all upon the floor, as the bags
are so piled as not to lean against the par
titions. The greatest skill is required in
piling the bags, as the least unevenness
might result in upsetting the whole pile
| and perhaps causing thom to fall outward
upon the visitors or employees. The cost
| of this vault will be about $4,000 1t was
at first thought advisable to have the walls
double-lined with steel. This would have
increased the cost to more than 100000,
so it was decided to use walls of concrete
Washington Letter IN New York Sun.
| BUILDING FOR AMERICANS TEN CENTU-
RIEs HENCE.
Architect Smithmeyer is carrying on
some novel and interesting experiments
on the site of the new Congressional
Library Building. For a building of its
large size an unusually solid foundation
is needed. Much of the library site is the
filling in Of deep ravine that formerly
crossed in from north to south. Mr. Smith
meyer has had trenches excavated to a
| depth of seven and and half feet below
the level ON which the first course of
granite for the foundation is to be laid.
| At short intervals in the trench Mr..
Smithmeyer had seventy-five tons of
pig lead piled on like cordwood on a
space six feet square. They were then
left to settle, being retested from time to
time. 1t was found that the earth was
perfectly firm, and the slight sinking
caused by the load of the lead was uniform.
The work of filling in the concrete has
| already been commenced, and it is hoped
to have the foundation well underway be-
| fore cold weather interferes with the work.
| The ravine that formerly crossed this site
was very deep, and there is tradition to
| the effect that IN Colonial days Indian
birch-bark canoes used to ascend its waters
to point above East Capital street, and
that it was number of years after the city
was built before it was filled up Wash
ington letter IN Boston Journal.